


Masterpiece

by LaLainaJ



Series: Make Some Noise [75]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Sandcastles, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-19 03:34:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7343122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLainaJ/pseuds/LaLainaJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Klaus isn't really a fan of beaches especially public beaches. Caroline finds something to occupy him so he doesn't get murder-y.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Masterpiece

**Masterpiece**

**(Promt from goldcaught: kc + beach shenanigans! klaus building exceedingly elaborate sand art as a way to distract himself from eating annoying beach goers/ripping caroline's bikini off. Title from 'Cake by the Ocean' by DNCE. Rated T).**

"No," Caroline declares, in response to the nearly inaudible grumble Klaus had just made. There's screaming children about twenty feet away, splashing each other in the waves. He hadn't been happy that she'd insisted they venture out from their rented villa and its private slice of beach. "You cannot eat children, Klaus."

She's joking. Mostly. Kol had once told her that children were awful tasting. A conversation she really wished she could wipe from her memory.

Klaus makes another low noise of complaint and she fights not to roll her eyes. When Klaus wasn't happy he _really_ wasn't subtle.

Caroline adored their private space too – her tan was fantastic _and_ line free – but she craved something a little less quiet for a couple hours. Some quality people watching, listening to the hum of conversations around her. And some time spent around people wouldn't _kill_ Klaus. Plus, Caroline was kind of worried for the health of the handful of staff that kept the vacation house up and donated blood (willingly, but still). The cook in particular was a wizard and Caroline thought picking up a snack when they were out and about was the least they could do.

She feels Klaus' eyes on her but doesn't bother to open her own.

He'd been eyeing her white bikini – admittedly very small and purchased with temptation in mind, sue her – with hunger ever since she'd walked out of the bathroom with it on. She'd had to put a fair amount of effort into making herself walk away from him and going through with her plans for the day.

Not tackling Klaus and letting him do the filthy wonderful things those sex eyes promised had been a trial and Caroline patted herself on the back for her self-control. She liked the suit and did not want it shredded.

At least before she got to wear it for a couple of hours.

If she looked at him now she's sure he could convince her to move her timetable up and Caroline refused. Klaus was an expert at taking a mile and she would not give one single inch.

"How about compelling them to be silent?" Klaus wonders thoughtfully. "Perhaps show a little respect for their fellow beachgoers?"

Caroline snorts, rolling over and resting her head on her folded arms, "I somehow suspect your choice of words would be a little more terrifying."

Klaus ghosts a finger up the length of her spine, toying with the string at her back, "I've found terror to be a _very_ effective way of getting what I want."

"Yeah, hence why your minions are so squirrelly."

She's pretty impressed with herself with how evenly that had come out. Klaus' hands haven't left her skin, are tracing distracting shapes over the dip of her spine, dipping teasingly under her bikini bottom. If she tells him to stop he'll take it as a victory, and double his efforts in seducing her.

She needs to redirect him before she caves. Beach sex was usually a mistake. Sand chafed something awful, vampire healing or not.

Caroline cracks her eyes open, scanning the beach for something that would work. The kids are right in her line of sight, splashing each other with brightly colored pails.

And the idea that hits her is really kind of perfect. So simple, she can't believe it had never occurred to her before.

Sandcastles.

Klaus' artistic leanings plus obsessive attention to detail? He'd be into it if only she could convince him to give it a shot.

She pushes herself to her feet, dusting sand off her calves. Klaus' brows furrow questioningly, a hint of triumph in his smirk as he looks up at her. He thinks he's won and begins to rise, but Caroline shakes her head, "Nope. I said until dinner and we're staying. But there's something I need and this suit doesn't exactly have pockets. Can I borrow your wallet?"

Klaus' settles back on his towel, expression shifting back into mild annoyance. But he obligingly hands the wallet over, not that she'd expected him to protest. Klaus had a ridiculous amount of money and no qualms about her spending it. She'd been awkward about it thirty years ago, insisted on paying for her own meals, when he'd first shown back up in her orbit. But that had faded with time and Klaus' casualness about the topic.

"Thanks!" she chirps. "Be right back!"

Caroline spins on her heel before Klaus can press for an explanation, heading in the direction of the few shops. It doesn't take her long to find what she needs, the sales clerk is very helpful (and Caroline's glad that Klaus hadn't followed her because he would not have appreciated the poor kid's fascination with her boobs) and she's soon back out in the sunshine.

Klaus has reclined back onto the towel, dark sunglasses covering his face. Caroline slows as she approaches, doing a little ogling of her own. As much as she likes Klaus naked, the navy trunks are worthy of appreciation too, clingy and cut just below hipbones that she's planning on licking later.

He pushes the glasses up as she nears, amused and smug like he knows what she was thinking. And maybe he does, because her bikini's probably not doing much to hide how her body's reacted to her mildly dirty musings.

Klaus sits up, surveys the things she's bought with mild distaste. " _That's_ what you needed?"

Caroline grins, "Yep! Fun fact: once upon a time I was awesome at sandcastles. Won a contest with my dad on a family vacay when I was seven. Seeing those kids reminded me and I thought I'd see if I've still got it. Wanna help?"

Technically she'd come in second. But that hadn't been her fault. Her dad hadn't packed the sand for one of the towers well enough and it had crumbled. They'd deserved the win on both artistic merit and general ambition though. Plus, Klaus was a big fan of stretching the truth so what was the harm in the lie?

"Not particularly," Klaus tells her, laying back once more.

Caroline laughs, kneeling next to him in the sand. "Let me rephrase. If you help we can skip dinner at the restaurant I wanted to go to and go back to the villa. If you don't than I think I'm going to feel like dancing. All night long. And then I'll be so tired that I'll go right to sleep."

Such a lie and they both know it.

But it gets his attention. Klaus' eyes narrow but he reaches for one of the buckets, examining it carefully. "You play dirty, love."

Caroline bites her lip to hide another smile, leaning over to begin digging. Kind of proving Klaus' point, since her top isn't exactly supportive and he definitely notices and is soon right next to her, shooting evil looks at anyone who wanders too close.

It turns out she's a genius, or maybe she just knows Klaus by now. Not an hour later he's absorbed in the task, has even made a trip back to the shops for more tools (nothing she'd bought would make a suitable turret apparently) and he barely even notices when Caroline retreats to her towel and brings out the book she'd brought.

He works for hours, until the sun sets and the castle is huge and gorgeous with painstaking details. People stop by to marvel at it as they're leaving and she can tell Klaus is pleased though he'd never admit it. Though, to be fair, she'd bet Klaus had been in more than his fair share of actual castles so he has a bit of an unfair advantage over your average sandcastle maker.

She takes a picture before they go, and it makes it into a scrapbook when they get home. It's eventually joined by another. And another, each managing to be more elaborate and beautiful. Klaus begins to bring his own tools. Even _makes_ a couple.

One of these days she's going to convince Klaus to enter a contest. They'd totally win.


End file.
